Biomaterial Database

Misconnected chest tube: An extremely unusual fatal complication of secondary pneumothorax. 2023

Veronika Heckmann, and Gábor Simon, and Tamás F Molnár

Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.

A rare and fatal complication of suction drainage of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax is reported. The patient, likely by a mistake, arbitrarily connected the oxygen supply tube to the thoracic drain. The sharp increase of intrapleural pressure combined with the atmospheric intraalveolar environment caused diffuse lung injury and cardiopulmonary collapse without a direct lung injury. The conflicting interests of patient autonomy and patient safety require further consideration.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011030	Pneumothorax	An accumulation of air or gas in the PLEURAL CAVITY, which may occur spontaneously or as a result of trauma or a pathological process. The gas may also be introduced deliberately during PNEUMOTHORAX, ARTIFICIAL.	Pneumothorax, Primary Spontaneous,Pressure Pneumothorax,Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax,Spontaneous Pneumothorax,Tension Pneumothorax,Pneumothorax, Pressure,Pneumothorax, Spontaneous,Pneumothorax, Tension,Spontaneous Pneumothorax, Primary
D004322	Drainage	The removal of fluids or discharges from the body, such as from a wound, sore, or cavity.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D015505	Chest Tubes	Plastic tubes used for drainage of air or fluid from the pleural space. Their surgical insertion is called tube thoracostomy.	Chest Tube,Tube, Chest,Tubes, Chest
D055370	Lung Injury	Damage to any compartment of the lung caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents which characteristically elicit inflammatory reaction. These inflammatory reactions can either be acute and dominated by NEUTROPHILS, or chronic and dominated by LYMPHOCYTES and MACROPHAGES.	E-Cigarette Use-Associated Lung Injury,E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury,EVALI,Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury,Chronic Lung Injury,Lung Injuries,Pulmonary Injury,Chronic Lung Injuries,E Cigarette Use Associated Lung Injury,E Cigarette or Vaping Product Use Associated Lung Injury,EVALIs,Injuries, Lung,Injuries, Pulmonary,Injury, Lung,Injury, Pulmonary,Lung Injuries, Chronic,Lung Injury, Chronic,Pulmonary Injuries,Vaping Product Use Associated Lung Injury